# Province of Alessandria

The province of Alessandria (Italian: provincia di Alessandria; Piedmontese: provincia ëd Lissandria; in Piedmontese of Alessandria: provinsa ëd Lissändria) is an Italian province, with a population of some 425,000, which forms the southeastern part of the region of Piedmont. The provincial capital is the city of Alessandria.
With an area of 3,558.83 square kilometres (1,374.07 sq mi) it is the third largest province of Piedmont after the province of Cuneo and the Metropolitan City of Turin. To the north it borders on the province of Vercelli and to the west on the Metropolitan City of Turin and the province of Asti. It shares its southern border with Liguria (province of Savona and the Metropolitan City of Genoa). Its south-east corner touches the Province of Piacenza in Emilia Romagna, while to the east it borders on the Lombard province of Pavia.

## History

The province was created by the Royal Decree n. 3702 of 23 October 1859, the Legge Rattazzi [it], as a union of five of the six provinces which had formed the Division of Alessandria (the provinces of Alessandria, Acqui, Asti, Casale and Tortona) plus the province of Novi which had formed part of the Division of Genoa. In 1935 the area of Asti was established as the separate Province of Asti.

## Main sights

The Sacred Mountain of Crea (Italian: Sacro Monte di Crea) is a Roman Catholic Devotional Complex in the comune of Serralunga di Crea (Montferrat), near Alessandria. It is one of the nine Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy, included in UNESCO World Heritage list. Its construction began in 1589, around a former Sanctuary of St. Mary whose creation is traditionally attributed to Saint Eusebius of Vercelli around 350 AD.

## Municipalities

There are 190 municipalities (Italian: comuni, sg.: comune) in the province the largest by population are:
| City | Population |
| Alessandria | 93,839 |
| Casale Monferrato | 34,246 |
| Novi Ligure | 28,343 |
| Tortona | 27,440 |
| Acqui Terme | 19,695 |
| Valenza | 19,054 |
| Ovada | 11,386 |
| Arquata Scrivia | 6,404 |
| Serravalle Scrivia | 6,062 |
| Castelnuovo Scrivia | 5,247 |
The full list is:
* Acqui Terme
* Albera Ligure
* Alessandria
* Alfiano Natta
* Alice Bel Colle
* Alluvioni Piovera
* Altavilla Monferrato
* Alzano Scrivia
* Arquata Scrivia
* Avolasca
* Balzola
* Basaluzzo
* Bassignana
* Belforte Monferrato
* Bergamasco
* Berzano di Tortona
* Bistagno
* Borghetto di Borbera
* Borgo San Martino
* Borgoratto Alessandrino
* Bosco Marengo
* Bosio
* Bozzole
* Brignano-Frascata
* Cabella Ligure
* Camagna Monferrato
* Camino
* Cantalupo Ligure
* Capriata d'Orba
* Carbonara Scrivia
* Carentino
* Carezzano
* Carpeneto
* Carrega Ligure
* Carrosio
* Cartosio
* Casal Cermelli
* Casale Monferrato
* Casaleggio Boiro
* Casalnoceto
* Casasco
* Cassano Spinola
* Cassine
* Cassinelle
* Castellania Coppi
* Castellar Guidobono
* Castellazzo Bormida
* Castelletto Merli
* Castelletto Monferrato
* Castelletto d'Erro
* Castelletto d'Orba
* Castelnuovo Bormida
* Castelnuovo Scrivia
* Castelspina
* Cavatore
* Cella Monte
* Cereseto
* Cerreto Grue
* Cerrina Monferrato
* Coniolo
* Conzano
* Costa Vescovato
* Cremolino
* Denice
* Dernice
* Fabbrica Curone
* Felizzano
* Fraconalto
* Francavilla Bisio
* Frascaro
* Frassinello Monferrato
* Frassineto Po
* Fresonara
* Frugarolo
* Fubine Monferrato
* Gabiano
* Gamalero
* Garbagna
* Gavi
* Giarole
* Gremiasco
* Grognardo
* Grondona
* Guazzora
* Isola Sant'Antonio
* Lerma
* Lu e Cuccaro Monferrato
* Malvicino
* Masio
* Melazzo
* Merana
* Mirabello Monferrato
* Molare
* Molino dei Torti
* Mombello Monferrato
* Momperone
* Moncestino
* Mongiardino Ligure
* Monleale
* Montacuto
* Montaldeo
* Montaldo Bormida
* Montecastello
* Montechiaro d'Acqui
* Montegioco
* Montemarzino
* Morano sul Po
* Morbello
* Mornese
* Morsasco
* Murisengo
* Novi Ligure
* Occimiano
* Odalengo Grande
* Odalengo Piccolo
* Olivola
* Orsara Bormida
* Ottiglio
* Ovada
* Oviglio
* Ozzano Monferrato
* Paderna
* Pareto
* Parodi Ligure
* Pasturana
* Pecetto di Valenza
* Pietra Marazzi
* Pomaro Monferrato
* Pontecurone
* Pontestura
* Ponti
* Ponzano Monferrato
* Ponzone
* Pozzol Groppo
* Pozzolo Formigaro
* Prasco
* Predosa
* Quargnento
* Quattordio
* Ricaldone
* Rivalta Bormida
* Rivarone
* Rocca Grimalda
* Roccaforte Ligure
* Rocchetta Ligure
* Rosignano Monferrato
* Sala Monferrato
* Sale
* San Cristoforo
* San Giorgio Monferrato
* San Salvatore Monferrato
* San Sebastiano Curone
* Sant'Agata Fossili
* Sardigliano
* Sarezzano
* Serralunga di Crea
* Serravalle Scrivia
* Sezzadio
* Silvano d'Orba
* Solero
* Solonghello
* Spigno Monferrato
* Spineto Scrivia
* Stazzano
* Strevi
* Tagliolo Monferrato
* Tassarolo
* Terruggia
* Terzo
* Ticineto
* Tortona
* Treville
* Trisobbio
* Valenza
* Valmacca
* Vignale Monferrato
* Vignole Borbera
* Viguzzolo
* Villadeati
* Villalvernia
* Villamiroglio
* Villanova Monferrato
* Villaromagnano
* Visone
* Volpedo
* Volpeglino
* Voltaggio

## Transport
### Motorways

The province is crossed by the following motorways (in Italian, autostrade):
* Autostrada A21: Turin - Brescia
* Autostrada A26: Genoa - Gravellona Toce
* A7/A26 Bettole-Predosa connection
* Autostrada A7: Milan-Genoa

### Railway lines

* Turin–Genoa railway
* Pavia–Alessandria railway
* Alessandria–Piacenza railway
* Chivasso–Alessandria railway